Thread to Rate Al***s Using Nick Lees Head as a Quality Index
Posted by: matthewr on 05 June 2003
It has occured that the admirable Nick Lees is the archtypal Music Room poster -- he has excellent taste, a huge record collection and perhaps most importantly bridges the gap between the 60s/70s classics/traditionalists and the sort of utlra-fashionable hipsters like myself who listen to impossibly cool records only available from an obscure record shop in Norway.
Therefore, and in an effort to reinvigorate our Music Room which we still do way better than the varuous other forums I would like to introduce a new standardised and highly objective system for rating albums by positioning a picture of Nick on a special designed rating thermometer. And then optionally adding a suitable summary comment for quoting on one of those annoying stickers that record companies like to put on the front of CD cases.
e.g.
"Destined to be bought by the bass players Mum, people who shop while drunk and Mick Parry"
"these people should be boiled in oil for making this"
"for dedicated fans and completists only"
"... monumental... a staggering achievement"
"... an instant classic and potential Album of the Year"
To this end I present a brief review of one of my favourite discs this year:
Matthew
Therefore, and in an effort to reinvigorate our Music Room which we still do way better than the varuous other forums I would like to introduce a new standardised and highly objective system for rating albums by positioning a picture of Nick on a special designed rating thermometer. And then optionally adding a suitable summary comment for quoting on one of those annoying stickers that record companies like to put on the front of CD cases.
e.g.
"Destined to be bought by the bass players Mum, people who shop while drunk and Mick Parry"
"these people should be boiled in oil for making this"
"for dedicated fans and completists only"
"... monumental... a staggering achievement"
"... an instant classic and potential Album of the Year"
To this end I present a brief review of one of my favourite discs this year:
Matthew
An album with a mixture of spoken word and music exploring the aiport, travel, migration , race and politics. Mike Ladd is I believe what you young people call a HipHop artiste and Vijay Iyer a great modern jazz talent. Frankly (and despite the scorn of a more musically erudite exforum member) I love this. Its smart in a sort of American liberal arts college post grad way sounds fabulous and mosty importantly is really rather funny at times. I'm going all out and rating it
www.vijay-iyer.com
I used to work with an old-timer who met his future wife at that show. 
Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd - In What Language
Anyway, I like it alot. I've not heard Mike on this form since ...Afterfuture, and he's a unique talent. Whilst I can't deny I would have prefered to hear him over some beats and an Erik MO bassline, it undoubtably works.
quote:
What I posted elsewhere
I think it's a better integrated sound than APC vs Matthew Shipp, for instance. I don't know Iyer's stuff, but I get the sense that his fans will love it, and Mike's delivery is on Welcome to the Afterfuture form. My take is that if you are anywhere between being really into Mike's thing and not finding Iyer's thing annoying, and not finding Mike's thing annoying and really into Iyer, there's something here for you.
BTW, I'd like to think I should get some credit here, but I doubt it. Earlier in the year I wrote to the guys at Thirsty Ear and complained about the non-redbook standard CD format that was used on APC vs Matthew Shipp. After a few emails with some guy there I suggested that they should definitely approach Mike to do some stuff, as I thought his stuff would fall within their aims. The guy said he'd never heard of him, but would check him out. Lo and behold, they've now got a project by him in the works.
Look at me and my big head!
Anyway, I like it alot. I've not heard Mike on this form since ...Afterfuture, and he's a unique talent. Whilst I can't deny I would have prefered to hear him over some beats and an Erik MO bassline, it undoubtably works.
Atmosphere - Seven's Travels
Slug's widely hyped as the next big thing. With fellow Epitaph scoop Sage Francis, Atmosphere are one of the underground hip hop acts that are expected to crossover beyond the usual audience. Sure, there's nothing jaw-dropping here, but they don't put a foot wrong either. It's a confident, funky sound, and along with Non-Prophet's Hope, it's been on heavy rotation since I got it. I prefer it to the Lucy Ford EP, but I get the sense I am in the minority, so you might want to check that first. To give a better known reference point, if you liked A Tribe Called Quest or Jurassic 5, and aren't sure where to look next, picking this up would be a good move.
Slug's widely hyped as the next big thing. With fellow Epitaph scoop Sage Francis, Atmosphere are one of the underground hip hop acts that are expected to crossover beyond the usual audience. Sure, there's nothing jaw-dropping here, but they don't put a foot wrong either. It's a confident, funky sound, and along with Non-Prophet's Hope, it's been on heavy rotation since I got it. I prefer it to the Lucy Ford EP, but I get the sense I am in the minority, so you might want to check that first. To give a better known reference point, if you liked A Tribe Called Quest or Jurassic 5, and aren't sure where to look next, picking this up would be a good move.
Hymie's Basement - Hymie's Basement
Oh my, this is good. Think of all the good bits of Oaklandazulasylum, Ether teeth, Cold House, and Amnesiac swished together through some as-yet-uninvented Degrassi Junior High era Kids TV vibe-iser effects box. Proper magical. If you already like Why? or Fog, you'll adore this. If you haven't caught to the the non-hip hop side of anticon already, this is a somewhere between the gentler bits of GYBE and the catchy bits of Kid A era Radiohead, with Broder and Why?'s spoken-word, sing-song poetry rap and samples drifting in and out. It's very very lovely.
Post-rock gentle-hop.
Oh my, this is good. Think of all the good bits of Oaklandazulasylum, Ether teeth, Cold House, and Amnesiac swished together through some as-yet-uninvented Degrassi Junior High era Kids TV vibe-iser effects box. Proper magical. If you already like Why? or Fog, you'll adore this. If you haven't caught to the the non-hip hop side of anticon already, this is a somewhere between the gentler bits of GYBE and the catchy bits of Kid A era Radiohead, with Broder and Why?'s spoken-word, sing-song poetry rap and samples drifting in and out. It's very very lovely.
Post-rock gentle-hop.
Wrens: Meadowlands
This is a fine demonstration that indie rock in the post-Galaxie500/Pavement/Pixies tradition is still alive and well. Meadowlands rewards repeated listening; songs that initially seem derived and repetitive start revealing all kinds of interesting little layers and textures, while what seems at first like a disjointed collection of different styles starts sounding like a perfectly natural progression. The album slowly transitions from Will Oldham-style alt country to something closer to the Pixies or even the Strokes. Certainly one of the best albums I've heard this year; only a couple of small misfires (the track "Boys you Won't" doesn't quite work) bring it up short of an NH=5. High side of:
This is a fine demonstration that indie rock in the post-Galaxie500/Pavement/Pixies tradition is still alive and well. Meadowlands rewards repeated listening; songs that initially seem derived and repetitive start revealing all kinds of interesting little layers and textures, while what seems at first like a disjointed collection of different styles starts sounding like a perfectly natural progression. The album slowly transitions from Will Oldham-style alt country to something closer to the Pixies or even the Strokes. Certainly one of the best albums I've heard this year; only a couple of small misfires (the track "Boys you Won't" doesn't quite work) bring it up short of an NH=5. High side of:
Alex
Is the Bexar Bexar at the cheesy end of Plinky Plonky (I am interested in this but concerned about the Lemon Jelly comparison). I like my Plinky Plonky quite po-faced
Cheers
Simon
Is the Bexar Bexar at the cheesy end of Plinky Plonky (I am interested in this but concerned about the Lemon Jelly comparison). I like my Plinky Plonky quite po-faced
Cheers
Simon
Yello - The Eye
This seems more like early Yello than either Motion Picture or Pocket Universe, but with modern production values and lots of bass. After a few listens its up there with some of their best.
This seems more like early Yello than either Motion Picture or Pocket Universe, but with modern production values and lots of bass. After a few listens its up there with some of their best.
Mu: Afro Finger and Gel
I know, I know; this is old news if you read the Wire, Pitchfork, or whatever. But what can I say, except that the reviews I read misrepresented this album's style but not its goodness. Mu has nothing to do with Japanese noise-punk like The Boredoms or Polysics, nor anything to do with Japanese trip-noise like Acid Mother's Temple or Merzbow. The crucial difference is that Mu understands very well that psychotic weirdness is nothing without a good beat. And good beats are here in spades; every track, really.
The psycho, screaming japanese chick dimension of this is completely overplayed: this is a tightly-crafted album, and it's superb.
Between
and
I know, I know; this is old news if you read the Wire, Pitchfork, or whatever. But what can I say, except that the reviews I read misrepresented this album's style but not its goodness. Mu has nothing to do with Japanese noise-punk like The Boredoms or Polysics, nor anything to do with Japanese trip-noise like Acid Mother's Temple or Merzbow. The crucial difference is that Mu understands very well that psychotic weirdness is nothing without a good beat. And good beats are here in spades; every track, really.
The psycho, screaming japanese chick dimension of this is completely overplayed: this is a tightly-crafted album, and it's superb.
Between
and
Ai Phoenix: The Driver is Dead
An excellent chill-out album that occupies the vague realm between lofi and alt-country. This was recorded three years ago but only released this year. A Scandanavian group with a deep south Texas sound.
Recommended especially for fans of Calexico, Palace, Lambchop, etc.
Hope I'm not the only one keeping this thread alive.....
An excellent chill-out album that occupies the vague realm between lofi and alt-country. This was recorded three years ago but only released this year. A Scandanavian group with a deep south Texas sound.
Recommended especially for fans of Calexico, Palace, Lambchop, etc.
Hope I'm not the only one keeping this thread alive.....
I can only direct you to the BBC review of this extraordinary work, which if anything underestimates sheer orchestral wonder of this work. Beatific.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/jazz/reviews/evanparker_memory.shtml
Although actually both these were late arrivals from last year.
Café Tacuba -- "Cuatro Caminos"
They are, apparently, known as the "Mexican Radiohead" which is pretty misleading. The singer has the occasional obviously Thom Yorke influenced warble and they are an alt.rock band who like to flirt occasionally with elecronics but that's about it. I suppose they are Radiohead like in that they are (apparently) a massive commercial and critical success in their native Mexico and its obviously quite "clever".
But basically its as good as rock a alternative/rock/pop album as you'll have heard all year with the sort of tunes that give it instant appeal and enough quality and interesting production to give it legs. Would have been a top 10 album of 2003 if amazon hadn't taken nearly 2 months to deliver it.
I can't imagine anyone with a healthy interest in pop/rock not liking it.
Review
Some annoyingly short samples at Amazon
"Fajitas da Radiohead"
The Unicorns -- "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?"
Sprawling, bizarrre, whimsical, innovative and thoroughly wonderful experimental pop masterpiece. Has a sort of "cut and paste" feel and lots of very odd arrangements and instrument choices (solo penny whistle intro to a guitar song?), sudden mid-song lurches of direction and is full of great but borderline annoying hooks. Kind of the musical equivalent of "naive" art (you know the stuff that the looks like it was done by a six year old but turns out to be the work of a middle-aged bookish NYC Jewish intellectual).
A real oddity but all in all a fantastic album.
(His voice really reminds me of someone and I just can't place it)
Review
Two tracks for download here
"Marvellous, just marvellous"#
[This message was edited by Matthew Robinson on WEDNESDAY 07 January 2004 at 19:28.]
Café Tacuba -- "Cuatro Caminos"
They are, apparently, known as the "Mexican Radiohead" which is pretty misleading. The singer has the occasional obviously Thom Yorke influenced warble and they are an alt.rock band who like to flirt occasionally with elecronics but that's about it. I suppose they are Radiohead like in that they are (apparently) a massive commercial and critical success in their native Mexico and its obviously quite "clever".
But basically its as good as rock a alternative/rock/pop album as you'll have heard all year with the sort of tunes that give it instant appeal and enough quality and interesting production to give it legs. Would have been a top 10 album of 2003 if amazon hadn't taken nearly 2 months to deliver it.
I can't imagine anyone with a healthy interest in pop/rock not liking it.
Review
Some annoyingly short samples at Amazon
"Fajitas da Radiohead"
The Unicorns -- "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?"
Sprawling, bizarrre, whimsical, innovative and thoroughly wonderful experimental pop masterpiece. Has a sort of "cut and paste" feel and lots of very odd arrangements and instrument choices (solo penny whistle intro to a guitar song?), sudden mid-song lurches of direction and is full of great but borderline annoying hooks. Kind of the musical equivalent of "naive" art (you know the stuff that the looks like it was done by a six year old but turns out to be the work of a middle-aged bookish NYC Jewish intellectual).
A real oddity but all in all a fantastic album.
(His voice really reminds me of someone and I just can't place it)
Review
Two tracks for download here
"Marvellous, just marvellous"#
[This message was edited by Matthew Robinson on WEDNESDAY 07 January 2004 at 19:28.]
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate managers
I've got their first album and it has plenty to recommend it, though is not one that gets a regular listen so I hadn't really thought I'd get this. However it featured in lots of the recommended end of year lists so I thought I might give it a go.
Well it's pretty much exactly how you would expect it to be, good melodies, clichéd lyrics etc, unfortunately there’s just not much there to really hold your attention. If you think you like this sort of thing then you’ll like this, I you think you don’t this won’t do anything to change your mind.
Ween – Quebec
A Fairly diverse selection of rock, from the Moterhead like opening track, through throw away ditties, dreamy psychedelia, kitschy keyboards, acoustic ballads to straight rock. Some of it just doesn’t work. However there is enough interesting stuff here to make it a worthwhile journey. For those who like a bit of quirkiness.
Simple Kid – Simple Kid
Another album with plenty of favourable reviews. Rock with a caustic tongue. There are a couple of great tracks here (‘Drugs’ ‘Breakups Breakdowns’) but overall I was slightly disappointed. Not bad but not special.
Carina Round – The Disconnection
I’d never heard of this artist and I’ve read nothing about her. I bought this on the basis of a listening post audition and I’m glad I did. Her voice has many similarities to Polly Harvey, and those that like the slightly more laid back PJ Harvey offerings will find plenty to like here.
Bonnie Prince Billy – Master and Everyone
The Handsome Family – Singing Bones
These have already been covered so I won’t say much but each is worth 4.5 heads
P.S - How do you get the heads in? If I use the attachment option I can only add one attachment and it appears at the top!
PPS. Thanks Matthew for the post below. Updated accordingly
[This message was edited by greeny on WEDNESDAY 14 January 2004 at 16:39.]
[This message was edited by greeny on WEDNESDAY 14 January 2004 at 16:43.]
I've got their first album and it has plenty to recommend it, though is not one that gets a regular listen so I hadn't really thought I'd get this. However it featured in lots of the recommended end of year lists so I thought I might give it a go.
Well it's pretty much exactly how you would expect it to be, good melodies, clichéd lyrics etc, unfortunately there’s just not much there to really hold your attention. If you think you like this sort of thing then you’ll like this, I you think you don’t this won’t do anything to change your mind.
Ween – Quebec
A Fairly diverse selection of rock, from the Moterhead like opening track, through throw away ditties, dreamy psychedelia, kitschy keyboards, acoustic ballads to straight rock. Some of it just doesn’t work. However there is enough interesting stuff here to make it a worthwhile journey. For those who like a bit of quirkiness.
Simple Kid – Simple Kid
Another album with plenty of favourable reviews. Rock with a caustic tongue. There are a couple of great tracks here (‘Drugs’ ‘Breakups Breakdowns’) but overall I was slightly disappointed. Not bad but not special.
Carina Round – The Disconnection
I’d never heard of this artist and I’ve read nothing about her. I bought this on the basis of a listening post audition and I’m glad I did. Her voice has many similarities to Polly Harvey, and those that like the slightly more laid back PJ Harvey offerings will find plenty to like here.
Bonnie Prince Billy – Master and Everyone
The Handsome Family – Singing Bones
These have already been covered so I won’t say much but each is worth 4.5 heads
P.S - How do you get the heads in? If I use the attachment option I can only add one attachment and it appears at the top!
PPS. Thanks Matthew for the post below. Updated accordingly
[This message was edited by greeny on WEDNESDAY 14 January 2004 at 16:39.]
[This message was edited by greeny on WEDNESDAY 14 January 2004 at 16:43.]
I really really do like Mogwai, and Sigur Ros, so I've ordered Explosions in the Sky.
So there is another one I've never heard of. Thanks Alex
So there is another one I've never heard of. Thanks Alex
Illogic - Got Lyrics?
There's a whole mass of hype building up about Illogic's forthcoming release 'Celestial Clockwork'. This, and his high rating (3rd place, above Sage Francis) in HHI's annual best emcee list has kept him on my radar, and sale in an online hip hop store meant I have finally got around to picking up 'Got Lyrics?'. Unlike many underground rappers, Illogic has got versatility in spades. His delivery is easy on the ear, and he has an abilty drop rhymes that avoid anticipation.
ADD say 'Dope Blueprint beats, intelligent lyrics, and an ill delivery'
There's a whole mass of hype building up about Illogic's forthcoming release 'Celestial Clockwork'. This, and his high rating (3rd place, above Sage Francis) in HHI's annual best emcee list has kept him on my radar, and sale in an online hip hop store meant I have finally got around to picking up 'Got Lyrics?'. Unlike many underground rappers, Illogic has got versatility in spades. His delivery is easy on the ear, and he has an abilty drop rhymes that avoid anticipation.
ADD say 'Dope Blueprint beats, intelligent lyrics, and an ill delivery'